Natural Gas is Coming to Cumberland, Falmouth and Yarmouth

CUMBERLAND, Maine – This month, Summit Natural Gas of Maine officially started a major infrastructure project that will provide natural gas service to the towns of Cumberland, Falmouth and Yarmouth. The announcement was made at an official groundbreaking ceremony on May 2 at the Cumberland Fairgrounds, the location of the start of construction to install 66 miles of natural gas pipelines in the communities.

What does this mean for residents and businesses? The opportunity to switch from oil or propane to natural gas means lower heating costs across the area in the years ahead. With the company set to serve its first customers in the area as early as this year, now is the time to make the conversion before this winter.

Additional Photos

From left to right: Mike Minkos, president, Summit Natural Gas of Maine; Steve Woods, chairman, Yarmouth Town Council; Nathan Poore, town manager, Falmouth; and Bill Shane, town manager, Cumberland, all dig in the dirt at the groundbreaking ceremony at the Cumberland Fairgrounds. Summit Natural Gas Photo

Mike Minkos, president of Summit Natural Gas of Maine, speaks at the company’s official groundbreaking ceremony on May 2 at the Cumberland Fairgrounds. Summit Natural Gas Photo

“Bringing natural gas to underserved communities is our company mission at Summit Natural Gas. I applaud the three town managers who had the vision, fortitude, foresight, and a plan to make natural gas available in their respective communities. As a Maine-based company, our team is thrilled that we will soon provide service to customers in the southern part of the state. Today marks the beginning of an opportunity for residents and businesses in these three towns to start lowering their heating costs and we’re excited to get started,” said Mike Minkos, president, Summit Natural Gas of Maine.

The groundbreaking ceremony, hosted by Summit Natural Gas of Maine, included town managers from the three towns, as well as customers, contractors and Summit employees. The celebration marked the start of the major construction project that includes plans for the installation of many miles of natural gas pipeline in the towns of Cumberland, Falmouth and Yarmouth.The major contractors for the project will be Bond Brothers Inc., Cianbro, Priority Utility Construction and Shaw Brothers Construction Inc.

Summit Natural Gas of Maine will make an investment in the three towns of approximately $42 million creating an estimated 200 jobs, and plans to serve about 8,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the three towns over the next five years.

“Maine is one of the most energy inefficient states in the country; a lot of that has to do with our legacy and dependency on oil. Natural gas is something I think all of us can all agree is a positive step forward,” said Steve Woods, chairman, Yarmouth Town Council.

More than 500 customers from the three southern Maine towns have already signed contracts with Summit. The company plans to serve its first customers along the main distribution line in the early fall. Summit Natural Gas of Maine will provide updates on construction and service areas on their Facebook and Twitter social media accounts. Information will also be available in their e-newsletter and on the company website.

Summit Natural Gas of Maine has already installed more than 130 miles of pipeline in central Maine and the company continues to install more miles of pipeline that will serve 17 communities in the Kennebec Valley and beyond.

Looking to get natural gas service?
Residents can request service by calling Summit Natural Gas of Maine at 1-855-910-4433 or by filling out a form online at SummitNaturalGasMaine.com. A service line specialist will visit your home or business to explain the easy steps you will need to take to get your heating system ready for natural gas.